Five days passed in the blink of an eye.
During that ti, Soren threw himself into training, Gate clearing, and caring for Ethea with relentless focus.
He returned to the Azure Sli Forest Gate twice for solo runs. The second and third clears went far more smoothly than the first. With experience under his belt and a better understanding of the terrain and enemy patterns, he cleared both efficiently, earning solid payouts each ti.
He also joined Darren’s party for a First Circle Gate raid. The team welcod him warmly, and their coordination had improved noticeably. Lira’s healing was more confident, Torin’s arrows found their marks with precision, Darren was as reliable as ever, and Nina’s swordsmanship remained as deadly as before. The raid went smoothly, and they split the profits equally as before.
But most of Soren’s ti and energy went into two things: mastering the Glacial Edge Spear Arts and preparing rare healing als for Ethea while researching her condition online.
_____ ____ _
The Glacial Edge Spear Arts proved brutally difficult.
The first three days were filled with failure. Despite attending his scheduled sessions and practicing for hours each day in the courtyard, the technique still eluded him.
He failed again and again.
So he paid for two additional sessions at the Bureau, bringing his total expenditure to 27,000 Credits. Fortunately, that extra guidance made the difference.
On the fifth day, after his final session, Soren finally grasped the First Form.
The Frost Piercing Thrust.
As for the rest of the forms, although he understood and morized them, there was still a long way to go before he could use them in battle.
Nevertheless, there was progress.
And, beyond combat training, Soren also dedicated himself to preparing the remaining rare healing als from his Recipe Collection.
He cooked three more specialized dishes over the course of five days:
[Frost-Touched Herb Congee] - A delicate rice porridge infused with frost-aspected herbs. It soothed ice-damaged pathways and was gentle on digestion, perfect for soone like Ethea, whose body had been ravaged by an ice-related curse.
[Nerve-nding Fish Soup] - A clear broth made with rare dicinal fish and spirit herbs. It aided nerve regeneration and reduced inflammation, targeting the very pathways that had been severed in Ethea’s body.
[Vitality Root Porridge] - A thick, nourishing porridge made from rare root vegetables and Mana-infused grains. It boosted energy and supported Core stability, helping to stabilize Ethea’s broken cultivation foundation, no matter how small an amount.
Each al was prepared with care, and each ti, Ethea ate without complaint. Her appetite seed better than before, and though she rarely spoke, Soren noticed the subtle changes. Her complexion was healthier. Her breathing steadier. The constant tension in her shoulders had eased slightly.
And each ti, the Investnt Authority responded.
_____ ___ _
[Investnt Complete - Ethea Valre]
Grade: MODERATE-HIGH
Returns Received:
1. Cold Resistance
2. Mana Circulation Efficiency 15%
3. Cooking Mastery 1
_____ ___ _
[Investnt Complete - Ethea Valre]
Grade: MODERATE-HIGH
Returns Received:
1. mory Enhancent
2. Minor Regeneration Boost
3. Cooking Mastery 1
_____ ___ _
[Investnt Complete - Ethea Valre]
Grade: MODERATE-HIGH
Returns Received:
1. Core Stability Enhancent (Passive)
2. Stamina Recovery 20%
3. Cooking Mastery 1
_____ ___ _
Soren had been stunned by the sheer volu of returns. And according to his analysis, each healing al had granted him abilities directly related to its effect on Ethea. Cold resistance from the Frost-Touched Congee. mory enhancent from the Fish Soup. Core stability from the Vitality Porridge.
His Cooking Mastery had skyrocketed as well, reaching the peak of Interdiate Level. He was sure he could contend equally with chefs of at least 3-star restaurants now.
But more importantly, he discovered sothing crucial.
Over the past few days, he’d stopped receiving returns from regular als. Daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner no longer triggered the Investnt Authority, no matter how carefully he prepared them or how nutritious they were.
Only the rare healing als triggered returns now.
Soren didn’t know the exact reason, but his guess was simple: the Investnt Authority responded to aningful actions, not routine ones. Once sothing beca ordinary or expected, it lost its value as an "investnt."
’So I need to keep pushing forward. Keep doing things that truly help her, not just maintain the status quo.’
Honestly, it made sense.
And it also ant he couldn’t rely on easy, repetitive returns anymore.
But if he could, wouldn’t his mysterious ability be broken?
Well, it was already broken, so he didn’t have a comnt on that.
_____ ___ _
Beyond technique training and cooking, Soren’s cultivation hadn’t stagnated either.
Each night, he dedicated hours to the Glacial Emperor Scripture. The Frost Essence Crystal he’d absorbed days ago continued to bolster his Mana capacity, and his Core had grown denser, more refined.
Today, he felt the shift.
His Mana capacity had reached 9,847 out of 10,000.
He was now at the First Circle, Peak Stage (Late).
On the verge of breaking through to the Second Circle.
Just a little more, and he’d reach the next major milestone and take one more step closer to his goal.
Furthermore, his luck with party applications had turned.
After days of rejections, another party had accepted him.
[Application Accepted: Ironclad Gorge Raid - First Circle Gate]
[Schedule: Today, 2:00 PM]
[Party Leader: Moro Vil]
[eting Point: West Gate Checkpoint]
Soren stared at the notification on his phone, a faint sense of relief washing over him.
’Finally.’
He glanced at the ti.
9:30 AM.
Plenty of ti to prepare.
But just as he was about to open his phone and start searching, his hand froze.
’...What if...’
’What if this acceptance was also connected to them?’
’What if it was a trap?’
’...Hmm.’
Soren stared at the notification a mont longer, then shook his head.
’Nah, it seems like I’m being influenced by those TV shows Ethea watches too.’
He opened the party listing and tapped on Moro Vil’s profile.
Second Circle Awakened. Clean raid record. Decent completion rate. Nothing suspicious.
He switched over and looked up Ironclad Gorge instead.
A rocky canyon-type Gate, mid-range difficulty for First Circle but accessible to Second Circle Hunters as support leaders. Primary enemies were Stone Golems and Fissure Hounds. Tight terrain that favored controlled, precise combat over wide swings.
’Sounds good. I can try out the new technique there.’
He closed the app and stood up.
He rolled his shoulders and headed to the kitchen.
’...I hope I’m really overthinking it.’
But...
’Extra caution won’t hurt...’
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